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Indexen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2016Fri, 09 Dec 2016 19:06:25 GMT2016-12-09T19:06:25Zen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2016The Guardianhttps://assets.guim.co.uk/images/guardian-logo-rss.c45beb1bafa34b347ac333af2e6fe23f.pnghttps://www.theguardian.com
Drug donations are great, but should Big Pharma be setting the agenda?https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/apr/29/drug-company-donations-bigpharma
Critics fear that giving out free medicines allows pharmaceutical companies to decide which diseases are treated<p>In the early 2000s, pharmaceutical companies were high on activists' hit lists, prompted by Big Pharma's ill-advised attempt to sue the South African government for patent infringement on HIV drugs; an attempt to deal with the country's epidemic by allowing cheaper, generic copies to be sold.</p><p>Today, the discourse seems merrier. Charities and NGOs sit down with the same companies, discussing how best to confront public health challenges in the developing world. The talk is of partnerships and "win-wins". It isn't all idle chatter. Drug donations, reinvestment of profits in developing countries and a more flexible approach to intellectual property have all signalled a more collaborative approach, with the likes of GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, Johnson and Johnson and Merck all performing well in the <a href="http://www.accesstomedicineindex.org/ranking">2012 Access to Medicine index</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/apr/29/drug-company-donations-bigpharma">Continue reading...</a>AfricaPharmaceuticals industryWorld newsSouth AfricaAids and HIVRwandaGlaxoSmithKlineGlobal developmentMon, 29 Apr 2013 11:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/apr/29/drug-company-donations-bigpharmaPhotograph: Chris Hondros/Getty ImagesVaccine donations might end after a period of time, leaving governments to pick up the bill. Photograph: Chris Hondros/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Chris Hondros/Getty ImagesVaccine donations might end after a period of time, leaving governments to pick up the bill. Photograph: Chris Hondros/Getty ImagesAdam Robert Green for African Arguments, part of the Guardian Africa Network2013-04-29T11:01:00Z